Meeting of bishop Albin Małysiak with the rescued Władysław Domiczek

Maria Zawadzka, 16 November 2016
Bishop Albin Małysiak has been recently visited by Władysław Domiczek, one of the Jews the bishop rescued during the Second World War. Domiczek came to Kraków to thank him for his help.

Małysiak, born in the nearby village of Kocoń, is 93 years old today and is the oldest bishop in Poland. Albin Małysiak took holy orders on May 1st, 1941.

He risked his life to save Jews during the Second World War. His deeds were honored by Yad Vashem, who awarded him the title “Righteous Among the Nations” in 1993.

During the Nazi occupation bishop Albin Małysiak was chaplain of the Krakow Helcl Center – an institution for the elderly and disabled.

Together with Sister Bronisława Wilemska, director of the Center who was awarded with the title of the Righteous Among the Nations in 1995, he helped five Jews. Katarzyna Styczeń, Helena Kachel, Henryk Juański, Zbigniew Kozanowski and a fifth man, whose identity remains unknown, became residents of the center.

They received baptismal certificates and other documents authenticating their so-called “Aryan” origin. They were also provided with food, medicines and clothing. Other residents knew about the hiding, but no one reported it to the Germans.

Bishop Albin Małysiak was awarded by the Yad Vashem Institute with the title “Righteous Among the Nations” on November 21st, 1993. In 2007 he was honored with the Commander’s Cross Polonia Restituta and in May 2010 with the Grand Cross Polonia Restituta. Bishop Małysiak has been a collaborator of “Radio Maryja” for a long time.

More about bishop Małysiak on the portal „Polish Righteous”.

More about the film „Z wiarą na głęboka wodę” (“With Faith Into Deep Water”), presenting the life of bishop Albin Małysiak.